Cards You Should NOT Grade: Save Your Money

Cards You Should NOT Grade: Save Your Money

The card grading industry processes millions of submissions per year. A significant percentage of those submissions are cards that should have stayed raw - cards where grading costs more than the value it adds. Before you fill out a submission form, check whether your card falls into one of these categories.

Modern Commons, Uncommons, and Non-Chase Rares

This is the most common money pit in card grading. Collectors pull a card from a pack, notice it is in perfect condition, and submit it for grading because "it could be a PSA 10."

The problem is not the grade - it is the market. A PSA 10 of a non-chase common from a modern set is worth $3-8. You spent $25-90+ to grade it. The math never works, no matter how perfect the card is.

This applies across every category:

• Pokemon: Common and uncommon cards from any modern set. Regular holos (non-illustration rare, non-ex chase). Bulk reverse holos.
• Sports: Base cards of non-rookie, non-star players. Commons and inserts of marginal players.
• MTG: Commons, uncommons, and bulk rares. Even format-playable commons are not worth grading - tournament players want raw cards they can sleeve, not slabbed cards they cannot use.

The exception: if a common or uncommon has a known error variant that is collectible, it may be worth grading. But this applies to a tiny fraction of cards.

Cards Worth Less Than $20 Raw

This is the hard floor. If your card sells for under $20 in raw near-mint condition, grading it is almost guaranteed to lose money. Here is the math:

• All-in grading cost at the cheapest tier: $40-60 (fee + shipping + supplies)
• Card raw value: $20
• Card needs to be worth $60-80+ graded to break even
• A $20 raw card at PSA 10 typically sells for $30-50 graded

You paid $40-60 to create $10-30 in additional value. That is a net loss on every single card.

The threshold for profitable grading starts at roughly $100 raw for modern cards (where only PSA 10 adds significant value) and $50-75 raw for vintage cards (where authentication adds value at multiple grade levels). Below these thresholds, keep the card raw.

Damaged Cards with Visible Wear

If you can see the damage without magnification - creases, corner dings, edge whitening, surface scratches - the card is going to grade low. For modern cards, a visible defect means PSA 7 or below. For vintage cards, it might still get a 5-6 depending on the era's expectations.

Low grades on modern cards actually reduce value below raw. A PSA 6 modern card trades below what the same card would sell for raw because the low grade signals a problem. Buyers who would accept a raw card at face value will discount a graded card with a visible number confirming damage.

For vintage cards, the calculation is different. A PSA 5 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle is still highly valuable because of the authentication component. But a PSA 5 2023 Topps Chrome rookie is worth less than raw. The vintage exception applies only to genuinely old, valuable, and collectible cards.

The rule: if you can see the damage with your eyes at arm's length, do not grade it unless it is a vintage card worth $200+ raw in its damaged condition.

Cards with Obvious Centering Issues

Centering is the most predictable grading criterion and the easiest to check before submission. If the borders are visibly uneven - the top is clearly wider than the bottom, or the left border is noticeably different from the right - the card will not get a 10 at any grading company.

For modern cards, a PSA 9 due to centering adds minimal value (often less than the grading cost). The submission is a waste.

Measure centering before you submit. Use a ruler, a centering app, or an AI scanner like ZeroPop that calculates centering ratios automatically. If centering is worse than roughly 55/45 on the front, the card is not a PSA 10 candidate. If it is worse than 60/40, it might not even achieve a 9.

This single check - taking five seconds - prevents more wasted submissions than any other screening step.

Modern Bulk in Perfect Condition

"But it is in perfect condition" is not a sufficient reason to grade a card. Modern card printing quality is high enough that most cards fresh from a pack are in near-mint or mint condition. A perfect condition common is not rare - it is normal.

Grading only adds value when the grade creates scarcity or certification that buyers will pay for. A PSA 10 of a card with a PSA 10 population of 25,000 is not scarce. The grade confirms what buyers already assumed (the card is mint), and the premium is minimal.

Before submitting any modern card, check the PSA Population Report. If the card already has thousands of 10s, the premium you will receive is thin and eroding. Your submission will add one more to the pile.

Cards from Sets with Known Quality Issues

Some sets have manufacturing defects that affect virtually every card in the print run. Submitting cards from these sets without understanding the defect patterns leads to systematic disappointment.

Panini Prizm (most years): Notorious for centering issues. A significant percentage of Prizm cards cannot achieve a PSA 10 due to centering alone, regardless of how clean the rest of the card is.

Certain Pokemon Japanese sets: Some Japanese printings have known issues with edge cutting quality or print lines across holographic surfaces. These factory defects cap grades at 9 even on otherwise perfect cards.

Topps Heritage: The intentionally retro card stock and printing process means surface quality varies significantly. Print spots and roller marks are common enough to make surface-grade 10s relatively scarce.

If you are submitting cards from a set with known quality issues, pre-screen aggressively. The hit rate on PSA 10s from these sets is lower than average, which means a larger percentage of your submissions will come back at grades that do not justify the cost.

Cards You Are Grading for the Wrong Reasons

"I want to protect it." A $5 top loader and a $0.05 penny sleeve protect a card just as well as a $30-90 graded slab. If protection is your goal, buy proper storage supplies instead.

"I want to display it." One-touch magnetic cases ($3-5) display cards beautifully and are readily available. Grading for display purposes is spending $30-90 on a less versatile display case.

"It might be worth something someday." Speculative grading - grading a card hoping it becomes valuable in the future - is almost always negative expected value. The cards that become valuable are unpredictable, and you are spending money today against an uncertain future return. If the card becomes valuable, you can grade it then. If it does not, you saved the grading fee.

"My friend got his card graded." Social proof is not financial analysis. Your friend's card might have been a completely different value profile. Every grading decision should be evaluated independently.

When Sentimental Value Is the Only Reason

There is one legitimate exception to all the advice above: if a card has deep personal meaning to you and you want it graded purely for your own satisfaction, that is a valid personal choice. Your childhood Charizard, a card you pulled on a special day, a card from a deceased relative's collection - these have emotional value that defies financial analysis.

But be honest with yourself about the reason. If you are grading for sentimental reasons, you should know that upfront and not expect the grading to make financial sense. Grade it at the cheapest available tier, accept whatever grade it receives, and enjoy having it preserved professionally.

The Pre-Screening Solution

The fastest way to avoid grading cards that are not worth it is to run them through an AI pre-screening tool before committing to a submission. ZeroPop evaluates centering, corners, edges, and surface in seconds and gives you objective data about likely grade outcomes.

If the AI flags centering issues or surface defects, you skip the submission. If the AI indicates a strong 10 candidate, you verify with manual inspection and then submit with confidence. The five seconds of scanning eliminates the cards that would have cost you money - and directs your grading budget toward cards with genuine ROI potential.

For the specific mistakes that cost collectors money and how to avoid them, see our dedicated guide.